It amazes me when I hear a few residents of Burbank whine about how they do not want to adopt change in their city ("Remove bike lanes from busy streets," June 12) because they don't want to be like other cities and like things the way they are.
Things are not great the way they are, though, and other cities and towns have shown how adopting a few well-thought changes can increase quality of life, while keeping things as they are can hurt us — socially, financially and environmentally.
Burbank has one of the worst air-quality ratings in the country, exacerbated by large parking lots devoid of trees , along with black roofing, asphalt paving, and streetscape missing tree cover. Simple fixes could reduce our daytime temperatures by a few crucial degrees, and nighttime temperatures by as much as 20 degrees. The measures would reduce smog, lower utility bills and improve our quality of life, without imposing restrictive regulations.